Tonight's Workout (1/26/05)

If you guessed none, then you're correct.

I had to work late tonight. Three issues came in like an hour before I usually leave. One issue was a server shutdown unexpectedly. So, I stayed late to address all of these problems. I still could have made it to the gym by the time I left, but I wanted to make a few stops before going home where I needed to catch up on reading for my classes.

Workout
- None

Tonight I cooked dinner. Anyone who knows me knows that this is a miracle. I hate cooking because I don't know what I'm doing. So the majority of my meals are "heat-n-eat" or "boil-in-bag" or something a four year old can prepare. Plus when most people cook, they make healthier meals compared to when they're just heating something up. But unfortunately I love Thai food. So when I get the urge to cook it's usually Thai Cuisine and it's never low in calories or healthy. Tonight I made Pad Thai w/ Chicken and Peanut Sauce. Yummy. I ate half of it so I can bring the other half to work for lunch. Also while I was running errands after work, I went to Starbucks, because I haven't been there in a while. I ordered a tall Toffee Nut Latte w/ no Whip. This turned out to be a bad idea. My "bartista" used whole milk instead of skim. Ok, not a problem but she must have added a few extra shots of syrup because that latte was rich. It was so sweet I could barely drink it, but I did and I felt really bad about it. This has been my worst day for eating so far this year.

Things I shouldn't have eaten today:
--Tall Starbucks Toffee Nut Latte No Whip
--Pad Thai w/ Chicken and Peanut Sauce
--Sugar on my Corn Flakes

Look no Club Crackers w/ Swiss cheese, but no veggies either!! I also need to look into the nutritional pros and cons of nuts. I'm thinking they're OK because they have good fats, but because I've developed a taste for Almonds now I'm sure they're bad for me. Maybe worse than Club Crackers w/ Swiss cheese. I'll compile a list for tomorrow comparing the nutritional benefits of various nuts.

I'll be on the treadmill tomorrow even if every server in this f'ing building shuts down.

- Toodle Loo

Tonight's Workout (1/25/05)

Really Good.

I finally made it back on the treadmill. I almost didn't because I didn't think I was feeling up to it. But after 10 minutes on the elliptical I said what the hell and I had a really good run. And guess what... NO SHIN SPLINTS!!

Elliptical
--Time: 10 Min
--Dist : 0.76 Miles
Treadmill (run/walk)
--Time: 37 Min
--Dist: 2.0 Miles
Chest Presses (2x15, 30lbs)
Lower Abs
--Ball (3x10)
--Pull Ups (2x10)
Upper Abs
--Crunches (30)
Lots of Stretching

I did longer intervals of running followed by shorter recovery walks. The distance would have been farther if I didn't pause to stretch halfway through. I could have stayed on the treadmill a lot longer, but I need to stop at the grocery store before going home and it was already pretty late when I got to the gym.

Today I went out to lunch. I usually eat my frozen meal, w/yogurt, pretzels and diet soda at my desk. But they were having this team lunch thing and I didn't want to seem unteam-like. So I went because I don't get out much anyway. We went to the Mongolian Barbecue which is a place where you put raw meat, vegetables and sauce in a bowl and they cook it for you on a big grill. It came out really good. It was low in fat and high in veggies and protein. So, this won't be on my list tonight.

Things I shouldn't have eaten today:
- Club Crackers w/ Swiss Cheese (I didn't see that coming)
- 1 Spring Roll (I couldn't resist)
- Sugar on my Corn Flakes (6-7 tsp = 90-105 calories. I can't obsess over this)
- Celest Pepperoni Pizza for One

I'm back in the gym tomorrow. It's a toss up between step class and running again. So, the betting window is now open.

- Later Alligator

Tonight's Workout (1/24/05)

Good.

If you asked to me a month ago I would have said great. But I've been in Ronya's step class for over a year and I've grown accustomed to this workout. In order for me to be great in the class I need to start incorporating more of the propulsion steps and start doing the transition jumping jacks.

Cardio
--Step Aerobics (50 min)

After class I changed into my running shoes and hopped on the treadmill. I don't think I was on it for 5 minutes when I looked at the clock and said, "I want to go home". It was only 7:45 and I'm usually out way past 8 anyway, but I started forecasting. "If I start running now, I won't finish until 8:30. Then after cool down and stretch, I won't leave until 8:45. Then drive home and probably get there sometime after 9:15. I don't have anything prepared for dinner. So, after putting something in the oven, I won't sit down for dinner until 9:45 or 10PM and I need to stop eating so late!!!! Then I have chapters to read for school, e-mails to catch up on and update my blog. Ugh!!! Just once I would love to go to sleep before midnight." So, I hopped off the treadmill and came home.

I did do a test at the gym to figure out my antioxident levels. I'm at the higher end of the national average which is below the medically recommended level. So guess what the guy advised me to do to get my level up... Eat more fruits and vegetables and take a daily supplement. Brilliant. Why didn't I think of that? Anyway....

Things I shouldn't have eaten today:
--Swiss Cheese and Club Crackers (No Kidding)
--Sugar on my Corn Flakes (I'm going to measuring exactly how much tomorrow)
--6 Honey Barbecued Wings (I'm on the fence about this one. This was my dinner and they come frozen in a bag. They barely had any meat on them but they were easy heat and eat food.)

Tomorrow's workout is a toss up between running and spinning. So start placing your bets now.

-See you on the flip side

This Weekend's Workout (1/22/05-1/23/05)

I didn't workout this weekend. I stayed in because of the snow. I used most of the time to work on my assignments for school, clean, catch up on some paper work, scan and defragment my hard drive, do laundry and dig out my car. So, I really didn't lay around, but I have no really good excuse for not doing a DVD workout except that I think they are really boring.

Workout
- None

I did pretty well with eating. Usually when one is snowed in they tend to graze. On Saturday I was surprised that I barely ate and Sunday I did eat more, but no junk or overeating.

Things I shouldn't have eaten this weekend:
--Club Crackers w/ Swiss Cheese (Duh)
--Johnsonville Bratwurst (but it was at breakfast and I needed the protein)
--Coconut Shrimp w/ Mango Chutney(It comes frozen in a box. They're really good.)
--Sugar on my Corn Flakes (I think plain Corn Flakes in Milk have no taste)
--Slice of Whole Wheat w/ Grape Jelly and Margarine (I had an early dinner and I wanted something to eat w/ my tea last night)

Overall, not a lot of sweets, but I didn't eat any vegetable or fruit this weekend. So, I need to get back on track with that.

I'm going to step class tonight, because I miss step class and then I plan on running on the treadmill afterwards.

- Have a Good One

Tonight's Workout (1/21/05)

None.

I wasn't really looking forward to running tonight, but if I didn't have an excuse not to go to the gym then I was going. Luckily a friend called me late in the day and invited me to the movies. Needless to say I didn't make it to the gym tonight.

Workout
- None

I saw "Are we there yet?" with Ice Cube. It was a fun movie. Childless bachelor takes two trouble making siblings on a road trip. What could possibly go wrong?

I couldn't stop eating today. I was hungry all day long. Luckily all I had to eat was healthy stuff - grape tomatoes, apple sauce, lean cuisine, oranges, etc. But I did have junk at the movies.

Things I shouldn't have eaten today:
- Nachoes w/ Cheese
- 5-6 curly fries
- 1/2 Fried Chicken Tender
- Swiss Cheese on Club Crackers

Looks like I'll be snowed in this weekend. So, I'm hoping that I continue to eat healthy and get in two good workouts.

- Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Tonight's Workout (1/20/05)

Happy Inauguration Day!!!

I didn't workout this evening, because my mom lost her keys. I had to leave work early, go home and pick up my set of her keys, get them copied and drive out to Maryland to give them to her. So, I just wasn't going to make it to the gym or workout tonight.

Workout
- None

I redeemed myself by having a very healthy Grilled Chicken Teriyaki salad for dinner. I'm surprised at how well I'm doing with this eating healthy business. Other than the daily Swiss Cheese on Club Crackers, I haven't had any real junk food. Instead, I have oranges, little grape tomatoes, apple sauce, pretzels and yogurt for snacks.

Things I shouldn't have eaten today:
- Swiss Cheese on Club Crackers

Tomorrow I will hopefully make it to the gym before the big storm arrives, which threatens to snow us in for the weekend.

- Keep It Real

Tonight's Workout (1/19/05)

Better.

It snowed today and around here the rule is "If you don't have to be on the road then don't be". I take that advice to heart when it comes to snow around here. So, instead of going to the gym I went to Target and bought the Tae Bo 3-Pack. I figured if I have to workout at home I wasn't going to do another night of Slim in Six. The first DVD, which is the cardio one, didn't work so I have to exchange it tomorrow. But the Flex DVD focused on 40 minutes of strength training.

Cardio/Strength Training
--40 minutes (Tae Bo Flex)

It was OK. But I really needed more Cardio this evening. The Vegas are threatening to do another run on Saturday. I haven't run since the last time we went out. I sort of knew the weather would impact my training program. So, I'm hoping the roads will be better by tomorrow.

Things I should not have eaten today:
- Club Crackers. (This is the last time I'm going to write this, because Club Crackers will be implied unless I start keeping a list of things I didn't eat today.)

Overall my eating habits have improved greatly. I'm currently eating a salad w/grilled chicken for dinner. I no longer seek out the vending machine. No more potato chips, candy, cookies or fast food. I chew gum and sip water during the day. Although I do tend to graze late at night, it's all healthy; mostly almonds, Swiss cheese cubes and of course Club Crackers.

I have one low calorie desert that I enjoy which I will share with you.

--1 low fat Graham cracker (with or without cinnamon)
--1 large marshmallow
--1 tablespoon fat free cool whip
Break the graham cracker in half.
Place the marshmallow between the 2 halves and place it in the microwave for 11
seconds. The marshmallow will expand. Remove from microwave immediately. Press
graham crackers together to flatten marshmallow while it's still hot. Plot whip
cream on top and voila a delicious treat at only 145 calories, 1.5g of fat and
1g of fiber.

Well, I hope I can get some running in tomorrow. Or else I'm back to the living room workout. :-(

- Talk to you later.

Tonight's Workout (1/18/05)

Awful.

I had to work late tonight. Then I went to the grocery store because I haven't been grocery shopping in a while. By the time I left the grocery store it was too late to go to the gym and get in a good workout before it closed. So I came home and did the "Slim in Six - Burn it Up" workout. It's a good workout, but it is incredibly BOOORRRRRINNNNNG. I couldn't take it. I kept up w/ the monotony for 30 minutes then I called it quits.

Cardio/Strength Training:
--30 minutes

Kudos to anyone who was able to trudge through that workout 6 days a week for 6 weeks straight. It's a really good workout that targets everything and gets your heart rate up. But I couldn't do it night after night, week after week. I prefer group classes w/ a live instructor and real music. The energy of the group, the instructor and the music encourages me to keep up. But no one is watching me when I'm working out in front of the TV. So, I went through the motions w/ very little enthusiasm for 30 minutes and gave up. Plus it was late (9:30PM to be exact) and I haven't had dinner yet.

Things I shouldn't have eaten today:
--Club Crackers
--Scrambled Egg Beater w/ turkey sausage

I have to conquer another habit of eating late. Because I workout after work, it's really rare for me to eat before 8pm. But I don't know what I to do about that now.

Hopefully I'll be able to get to the gym tomorrow before it snows. We're expecting 1 inch but around here it might as well be 1 foot.

- Hasta manana

3-Day Weekend (1/15/05-1/17/05)

Lots of fun.

I went out of town for the weekend. So, no workout. I had a great time. I went to a spa, I gambled (and won) in Atlantic City. Then I traveled to Philly and had just as much fun siteseeing and shopping in the city of Brotherly Love.

Things I shouldn't have eaten.
- Lots of stuff, but I avoided desserts of all kinds. I ate wisely (grilled instead of fried). I even ate fruits and vegetables. I only ate when I was hungry and did not over eat.

Tomorrow I'm back on the treadmill.

- See ya

Tonight's Workout (1/14/05)

Pretty Good.

Since I ran Wednesday night and Thursday night, our coach suggested that I take it easy tonight. Which I'm guessing meant no running. So, I took a break and went to Ultimate Step class this evening.

Cardio:
--Ultimate Step Class - 1 hour
Lots of Stretching

I think I've improved my choreography since last week. Ultimate Step is a fun class but it requires a lot of focus and concentration and the ability to reverse turn, lunge, mambo, cha-cha, turn, stomp back, reverse turn, stomp front and finish with knee up without tripping over the step or bumping into other people. And that was the easy combination.

Things I shouldn't have eaten today:
- Club crackers (But only a few. I finished the sleeve from yesterday.)

Wow that's it!! I'm seeing progress here.

I won't be working out this weekend. I'm going out of town on 3-day weekend. But I'll be back on Monday w/ adventures from the road.

- See Ya

Tonight's Workout (1/13/05)

OK. But I need to do a lot better.

The Vegas had their first group run tonight and guess who didn't finish with the group? If you guessed me then you're right. We ran around the neighborhood near Vijay's house, where there were apparently 5 armed robberies last night - Go Washington! But anyway, my shin splints started hurting. Not so bad as when I started running (12/29/04 - the official start date because that's when I got my new running shoes), but bad enough that after running outside for maybe 4.5 minutes straight my shin splints and calves were so stiff I could barely run a few steps before they started hurting again. So, I insisted that the rest of the group go on w/o me and I ran around the neighborhood by myself. And guess what... I actually had fun running. :-)

Once I eliminated the pressure of having to keep up with the group or trying to run through the pain or exhaustion I started having fun. It was a nice night. The sidewalks in the neighborhood were flat, wide and well lit. I ran when I felt like running. I walked when I felt like walking. I paused to stretch and say hi to by passers. I ran to the middle of a grassy field did my Julie Andrews impression from the opening sequence of The Sound of Music then skipped back to the sidewalk before anyone saw me. Although I should have been pushing myself for the race, I was having a good time. Then everyone caught up to me. I tried to keep up and I couldn't so I was miserable again. I am so not ready for this race. :-(

I don't have any times or distances tonight. I don't wear a watch or an odometer.

But this evening was like a good example of my life experiences. On more than one occasion I tend to have more fun doing stuff by myself. I can be my own source of entertainment, companionship and quite often conversation. It's so sad. But the Vegas are cool and definitely much better runners than I am so this means I have to train harder. March is less than 3 months away people.

Things I should not have eaten today:
- Argh!!!! Club Crackers!! The cracker of the Gods.
- 3 Turkey Sausage links (But they were at breakfast time and I needed the protein)
- One little slice of pepperoni pizza (after the run our coach bought us pizza, but I wasn't in the mood for food)

I think I tend to eat more when I'm happy which is the opposite of most people who eat more when they're depressed. So, lets hope I don't hit the lottery or fall in love before the race.

- Later Days

Tonight's Workout (1/12/05)

Very good.

I got back up on the treadmill today. I did a 20 minute warm-up on the elliptical followed by an intense regimen of stretching. And guess what... No Shin Splints!!! Yeah!!! I did 6 intervals of running followed by a recovery walk. The intervals varied based on the length of the song I was listening to, but I wasn't in pain until the 4th interval when both my legs went numb from the knee down. So I got off the treadmill for a minute and stretched until the feeling came back to my legs and I ran 2 more intervals like a pro.

Elliptical
--Time: 25 min
--Dist: 1.63 miles
Treadmill
--Time: 45 min
--Dist: 2.33 miles (run/walk)
Lower Abs
--Pull-ups (2x10)
Upper Abs
--Crunches (3x15)
Lots of Stretching

Thank God for Washington Sports Club. Although it's like 1/4 the size of Bally's with only 1/3 the equipment. But even at peak time (6:00 pm) there was no wait for an elliptical machine.

Things I shouldn't have eaten today:
- Apple Jacks (I finally finished that box)
- This pizza I'm about to eat :-')

Tomorrow is the Vagas (Vijay's All-Girl All-Stars) first group run. The plan is to run 3 miles outside.

- Wish me luck.

Bally's Health Club (1/11/05)

Since I had my Book Club meeting this evening, I decided to check out the Bally's Health Club near my office for the free 8-week membership.

I went right after work which is peak time for most clubs. It was just like I remembered it from 4-5 years ago. The only thing that's changed is the people. No more muscle bound, bulging neck uber jocks hitting on super cute, naturally thin bachelorettes, who worked harder at picking up guys than picking up weights. There were regular people there, like me, with their long pants and extra big t-shirts who took breaks on the stairs on their way up from the locker room to workout floor. The exhaustion from fastening their sports bras and bending over to tie their shoes had already settled in before this journey began. Some turned back, but others pressed on only to find that, aside from a handful of recumbent bikes, every other friggin piece of cardio equipment was occupied!!!!! Like I said, the only thing that's changed is the people.

Bally's HC is still possibly the most crowded health club in the history of health clubs and I can't understand why. The equipment is the same equipment they had 5 years ago and even then it was showing some age. The place is huge, but the layout of the club makes absolutely no sense. There is too much equipment in one area, not enough in this other area and some in areas where they don't need to be. It's like they're in the middle of remodeling, but they're not, which makes it difficult to explain some of the makeshift walls, mismatched paint and temporary light fixtures. The locker rooms are in the basement and you have to climb 4 flights of stairs and go through the main lobby to get to the workout floor. The basketball court and the cycling studio are the same room. The main aerobics studio, where they were trying to host an over crowded step class, was carpeted. (This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's not natural.) The entire place is dark and I mean dark. There are absolutely no windows and I felt like I was at a construction site with dim halogen lights hanging from exposed beams 16ft over head. There were weight machines spread out in 3 different areas and in one room that reminded me of the cafe-gym-atorium from my elementary school but w/bad lighting. There was only one dinky stretching area w/ no mats for cushioning. And they don't provide towels for your workout, so I have to remember to bring my own.

The only good thing and possibly the only reason I would venture to sign up for the 8-week trial is the indoor track. It was empty compared to the rest of the club. I could run/walk/jog freely with no fear of being trampled by the herd. It was made of some type of soft foamy material and each lane was a different color. This will be my safe haven for building up road time w/o actually being on the road.

The guy that gave me my tour didn't even attempt to sign me up, which is unlike the tag team approach they used the last time I went in there. So, that is another positive change they've made. But overall if it wasn't for the free membership and the indoor track, I'd never set foot in that place again.

- Arrivederci

Tonight's Workout (1/10/05)

Pretty Good. Considering....

...I'm still sick. I barely ate anything today, which probably contributed to my lack of energy during class tonight. Plus my girly time started today and I'm suffering from a minor case of cramps. But I went to step class anyway with the intention of running on the treadmill afterwards, but I wasn't feeling to hot after class so I came straight home, took a hot shower, had some tea (and Club Crackers) and got in bed.

Cardio:
Step Class (1 hour)

I'm usually a lot more energetic in step class, but tonight my muscles were really stiff, my feet were hurting, my breathing was all off and I was sweating buckets. So, I stayed with the basics and made it through class. Funny... big, fat, junk food eating Valerie never got sick ever, but over-exercising, fruit and vegetable eating Valerie gets sick. Go figure.

Things I shouldn't have eaten today:
- Apple Jacks
- Club Crackers
- Grape Jelly and Magarine on Potato Bread (BTW, that's the last of the potato bread, I think)

No workout tomorrow. I have to go to my book club meeting.

Au Revoir Mes Amis

This Weekend's Workout (1/8/05 - 1/9/05)

Light to Moderate Housework.

I was kind of under the weather all weekend. I was coughing and I had a soar throat. So, I took it easy and did a lot of housework like taking down Halloween decorations (Yes, I said Halloween Decorations), organizing my drawers and closets, bringing stuff to Goodwill and the Recycling Center, cleaning the bathroom, etc. I didn't go to the gym or workout, but I also didn't sit on the couch all day surfing the net, watching DVD's and eating Bon Bons (whatever that is). But I did finish my book for book club. Yeah!!

So here is my list of things I should not have eaten this weekend:
- Small Panera's Hot Chocolate. OK, compared to the hot tea, the hot chocolate was a bargain, but it was made w/ real chocolate, whole milk and topped w/ chocolate covered whip cream. Needless to say it was probably the richest hot chocolate I will ever have.
- A bag of Cracker Jack. OK , that was the last bag. I'm done w/ Cracker Jacks forever!!!
- Potato bread. This weekend I used potato bread for everything from a sandwich to hotdog buns to crackers with my soup. Totaling 5 slices in 2 days!!! I think there are 4 slices left in the bag and that's it for the potato bread.
- Grape Jelly, Honey and Margarine. Not all at the same time, but I used noticeable amounts of this stuff during the weekend so I need to cut back on them.
- Small Bag of Pizza Flavored Combos. There may have been 12-15 combos total in this little bag, but it's still junk food.

Here's a list of food I've given up all together:
- Candy (last eaten 10/30/05 at my Halloween Party)
- Cookies (last eaten 1/1/05 at Vijay's New Years Eve Party)
- Cake (last eaten 12/31/05 It was my signature Rum Cake that I made for the NYE party)
- Potato Chips (last eaten last week. I forget the day, but I remember it was barbecue from the vending machine)
- Fast Food (last eaten a long time ago. Namely chicken, taco and burger places. But I still do Chinese, sandwich and pizza places.)

Foods I plan on giving up over the next few weeks:
- Crackers (Too manyCarbs. I think this is my substitute for potato chips)
- Cheese (This is going to be tough, because my favorite snack is cheese and crackers)
- Coffee (Big round of applause for my traveling buddy who introduced me to Starbucks last year when we were in LA and now I'm hooked on that stuff)
- Coke (i.e. Sodas. I drink only Diet soda now, but I want to try to stop drinking soda all together)
- Cereal (just the ones w/ Sugar added like Frosted flakes and Apple Jacks)

On a sad note...
I've sprayed, I've set traps, I've sealed up holes and invested in one of those "Crackers Be Gone" silent alarms, but another box of Club Crackers has managed to find its way back into my house. It's hiding in my kitchen cabinet as we speak. After I get rid of this box I may have to have a seance or and intervention, which ever is more effective.

- Later Alligator

Tonight's Workout (1/7/05)

Really Good. Lots of fun.

I woke up a little under the weather this morning. My throat was tight and I had a dry cough. Plus I felt dehydrated and a little weak. But I didn't feel so terrible that I would waste a sick day, so I went to work. By early afternoon I was still feeling run down. I knew I couldn't face the treadmill again this evening and I knew I wasn't motivated enough to push myself in a self paced workout. So, I went online and found out that a club in my network was having an "Ultimate Step Class" this evening. I'm a big fan of step classes and I tried Ultimate Step at this club once before. So I ventured out of the suburbs and into the city to take this class. Although finding parking in downtown Washington during rush hour was a bitch, I still made it to class on time.

The class was great (not overcrowded like last time). There was a lot of fancy choreography to keep me moving and alert. And although I have never been more uncoordinated during a step class, I had a lot of fun and worked up a real good sweat. I felt really good afterwards, unlike the exhausted, "thank god it's over" feeling I get when I'm running. This will probably become my new Friday night ritual.

Cardio
--Step Aerobics (1 hour)
--Running uphill from my car to the club, going back to my car to get my aerobic shoes, running uphill again and changing for class (15 minutes)

Things I should not have eaten today:
- Other than this pizza I'm about to devour I really didn't eat much today. I didn't have much of an appetite for most of the day.

I currently have no plans to workout tomorrow. I'm going to stay home and clean up around here. That will definitely be a workout in itself. Including Monday I've workedout 4 times this week. School starts on Monday and I hoping I can keep up my momentum and stay on top of both school work and exercise in the upcoming weeks.

Oh, I also signed up for the Discovery Health Channel's National Body Challenge. For what it's worth, it's another venue to help me stay motivated. I get free nutrition and fitness advice. And there's a weekly show that chronicles the lives of other fat people and reveals their secrets to successful weight loss. I also get a free 8 week membership to Bally's health club, which is good because the Bally's near my work has an indoor track. I went to Bally's once a long time ago and I was totally disgusted by their aggressive sales tactics. The place was way too overcrowded and I've never seen so many thong wearing blond ponytails and torn sleeveless muscle shirts in one place my entire life. Hopefully it's changed since then. Maybe the regular people like me with their long pants and extra big t-shirts from college staged a coup and reclaimed Bally's so fat people everywhere can exercise w/o being intimidated by the beautiful people.

- Go Terps!!!

Tonight's Workout (1/6/05)

Not Good.

I was prepared for running to be hard, but I was not prepared for running to be painful. 12 minutes and 36 seconds into my run and I had to stop. The pain was excruciating. I'm suffering from what's called shin splints. I was told everyone suffers from them from time-to-time even seasoned runners get shin splints. I did all the stretching and warm-up exercises. I even stopped running twice and walked it off. But by the end of the third lap I couldn't take it any more. So, I finished up on the treadmill and did 30 minutes of hard cardio on the elliptical.

Running-Treadmill
-- Time: 12:36 min
-- Dist: .75 miles (run/walk)
Elliptical
-- Time: 30 min
-- Dist: 2.61 Miles
Lower Abs
-- Pull-ups: 19
-- Ball: 3x10
Chest Presses: 2x15 (30lbs)
Dips: 10 (???lbs)
Leg Press: 2x10 (120lbs)
Lots of stretching

I figured that part of my problem is that although I am not new to exercising I am new to high impact exercises and running uses a set of muscles that don't see much action on a regular basis. Plus factor in the fact that I started running about a week ago and I weigh over 200lbs. So, I may need to put running on the side and focus on the following:
1. Increase my weekly cardio workouts (low-impact).
2. Do more strength training (especially on my shin splints)
3. Eat better so I can lose some weight

Because I'm sick tonight I'm indulging in a bowl of Chicken noodle Soup.

Things I shouldn't have eaten today:
-- Apple Jacks. I'm trying to finish the box.
-- Cracker Jacks. I'm sensing a theme.
-- 2 Jimmy Dean's sausage patties. I was thinking about the lack of protein in my diet.
-- Half a sleeve of barbecued peanuts. Once again protein.

Later Babe

Tonight's Workout (1/5/05)

I made it to the gym after working late this evening. I wanted to go to step class but I was too late so I ended up on the treadmill. Tonight I ran further and faster but not longer. I only lasted 30 minutes, because I was suffering from painful shin splints.

Total Time: 32 min
Distance: 1.75 miles (run/walk)
Strength Train: 2x15 Chest Presses (30lbs)
Upper Abs: 30 (crunches)
Lower Abs: 20 (pull-ups)
Then I did a lot of stretches.

I'm pretty sure my time would have been a lot better if it wasn't for the pain. I wasn't tired or winded, but most of my energy was spent trying to run through the pain. I'm going back tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll do better.

Today I ate a lot of stuff that isn't very nutritious.
Here is a list of bad things that I'll try to cut back on
- Apple Jacks
- Club Crackers
- Peanut and Jelly Sandwiches on Potato Bread
- Sticky Rice prepared w/ Coconut Milk (I made it myself and it's full of sugar)
- Less Carbs in General

Welcome to My Blog

Hello everyone. This is my Blog. Last year one of my best friends (who happens to be a tri-athlete) suggested that we should run a race together. At first I poo-pooed the idea, because I'm not a big runner. I like to workout, but I mainly stick w/ step classes, elliptical trainers, spinning, etc. All low-impact activities. But as far as helping me lose weight these exercises are not very effective. So, I said what the hell, running in a race may be fun. I was initially thinking of doing a 5K in April to get started, but my friend, the tri-athlete, said a 5K was too short. So, he suggested a 10K race on St. Partick's Day in March. So this gives me 3 months to convert my dumpy non-running self into a lean mean running machine. Eeek!!!

Luckily I'm not alone. He also invited some of his other non-athletic friends to join us.
- Anna is a little on the plus size like myself. She is somewhat of a runner, but can be talked out of running by the mere mention of distance or desert.
- Joyce is more athletic then both myself and Anna put together, but she's involved in moving, decorating and shopping which will obviously take precedence over her training schedule.
- Claire is probably the most athletic of the three of us, because she definitely weighs less than we do, but she admits to not being much of a runner. Plus she has a fiance and a life, so who's knows if she'll make it to race day.

So here's to Vijay's all girl running team:
Anna - "2 Cool to Run"
Joyce - "2 Far 2 Run"
Valerie - "2 Big 2 Run"
Claire - "2 Busy 2 Run"
Vijay (Our Coach) - "Will Run 4 Fun"